Saturday, October 17, 2009

SPORTS >> Jackrabbits roll

Lonoke’s Morgan Linton had two touchdowns and gained 38 yards Friday.

By TODD TRAUBLeader sports editor

Lonoke’s starters sat out the second half Friday night. But the Jackrabbits earned their rest.

Lonoke blistered DeWitt 53-8 at James B. Abraham Field on Friday night, racing to a 53-0 halftime lead, sitting its starters in the final two quarters and triggering the high school sportsmanship-timing rule, otherwise known as the “Mercy Rule,” in which the clock runs almost continually the rest of the game.

“They got their work in,” Lonoke coach Doug Bost said. “We had a big lead so we took them out early. But they practice hard all week, they need to play at least until halftime.”

Five different players scored and the Jackrabbits rolled up 475 yards, mostly in the first half, to stay firmly in the thick of the hunt for a high seed from the 2-4A Conference.

“That’s our goal to get there but I think we can be anywhere from two to five still,” Bost said. “We just control our own destiny by keeping winning. It’s just that simple.”

Lonoke outscored DeWitt 53-0 in the first half, scoring on eight of its first nine possessions; with an interception ending the Jackrabbits’ only failed drive of the half.

Brandon Smith scored on runs of 1, 15 and 53 yards; quarterback Michael Nelson scored on a 1-yard sneak and completed touchdown passes of 5 yards to Darius Scott, 49 yards to Todd Hobson and 19 yards on a screen to Morgan Linton.

Linton scored the half’s last touchdown on a 12-yard run up the middle.

Lonoke gained 412 yards in the first two periods, with Smith gaining his 202 and Nelson passing for 166. The ‘Rabbits’ defense held the Dragons to 72 total yards in the first half while Wes Plummer, Justin Smith and Jordan Lynch each pulled down an interception for the Jackrabbits.